THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you all for
coming. We are honored to be in Sioux land. Thanks for coming. It's
good to be in a part of the world where the cowboy hats outnumber the
ties. (Applause.) Senator Grassley is right, Laura and I feel right
at home with folks like you all. And thanks for coming out to lift our
spirits. We're coming down the stretch. I'm here to ask for your
vote, I'm here to ask for your help. (Applause.)

I'd like you to get your friends and neighbors to go to the polls
tomorrow. (Applause.) Turn out our fellow Republicans, wise
independents, and discerning Democrats. (Applause.) And when you get
them headed to the polls, remind them, if they want a safer America and
a stronger America and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back
in office. (Applause.)

Perhaps the most important reason of all that I should be reelected
is so that Laura is the First Lady for four more years. (Applause.)
And there's nothing better than coming down the stretch in a
presidential campaign with two women I love -- our daughters, Barbara
and Jenna. (Applause.)

I'm proud of my running mate, Dick Cheney. I don't want to offend
anybody here who is follically challenged, but I readily concede that
Vice President Cheney does not have the waviest hair in the race.
(Laughter.) But I'm confident that you'll appreciate the fact I didn't
pick him because of his hairdo. (Applause.) I picked him because of
his judgment. I picked him because of his experience. (Applause.)

I'm proud to call Chuck Grassley friend; I know you're proud to
call him United States Senator. (Applause.) He's a really fine
Senator, and we have done a lot of work together. I -- it's important
that he remain the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and one way to
make sure he remains the Chairman of the Finance Committee is for the
people of South Dakota to elect John Thune to the United States
Senate. (Applause.) I know John Thune, and there's no doubt in my
mind that he will make a great United States senator for the people of
South Dakota. (Applause.)

I want to thank Congressman Steve King from the great state of Iowa
for being here. (Applause.) I want to thank Sioux City Mayor Dave
Ferris for being here today. (Applause.) I know the Mayor didn't ask
me for any advice, but I'm going to give him some -- fill the
potholes. (Laughter and applause.) Mr. Mayor, thank you for your
service, Mr. Mayor. I appreciate it.

I want to thank the Speaker of the House, Christopher Rants. I
want to thank all the state and local officials. I want to thank my
friend, Ricky Scaggs, for being here, and his band. (Applause.) But
most of all, I want to thank you all. Thanks for coming. Thanks for
what you have done and thanks for what you're going to do as we come
down the stretch, putting up the signs and making the phone calls and
turning out the votes. No doubt in my mind we'll carry Iowa and win a
great victory in November. (Applause.)

I am excited about this election and I am optimistic about the
future of our country. I see a brighter day and a more hopeful
America. One of my favorite sayings comes from a fellow Texan named
Tom Lea. He said, "Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain.
It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the
day that is coming, not to see the day that is gone." During the
course of this campaign, my opponent has spent much of the time talking
about the day that is gone. I'm talking about the day that's coming.
(Applause.)

I see a great day coming for America. I see a day where prosperity
reaches every corner of our country. I see a day where every child is
able to read and write and add and subtract. I see a day in which this
world becomes more peaceful, where we achieve the peace we want for our
children and our grandchildren. And tomorrow, the people of America
have a chance to bring that better day by voting for strong, confident,
optimistic leadership by voting for Bush-Cheney. (Applause.)

The American President must lead with clarity and purpose. The
role of the President is not to follow the path of the latest polls.
The role of the President is to lead based upon principle, conviction,
and conscience. (Applause.) During the last four years, I've learned
that whatever your strengths are, you are going to need them, and
whatever your shortcomings are, the people are going to notice them.
(Laughter.) Sometimes, I'm a little too blunt. I get that from my
mother. (Laughter.) Sometimes, I mangle the English language. I get
that from my father. (Laughter.) But all the time, no matter whether
you agree with me or not, you know where I stand, what I believe, and
where I'm going to lead this country. (Applause.)

This election comes down to five clear choices for America's
families. The first clear choice concerns your family budget. When I
ran for President four years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for American
families, and I have kept my word. (Applause.) We doubled the child
credit to help moms and dads all across America. We reduced the
marriage penalty. We believe the tax code ought to encourage, not
penalize marriage. (Applause.) We reduced taxes on everybody who pays
taxes. And as a result of these good policies, our economy is growing
as fast -- at rates as any -- as fast in nearly 20 years. Real
after-tax income -- that's money in your pocket -- is up 10 percent
since I have been the President. Our farmers and ranchers are making a
good living all across America. (Applause.)

Home ownership rate is at an all-time high. More minority owns --
more minority families own a house than ever before in our nation's
history. (Applause.) The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in
America. Our small businesses all across the nation are doing well.
We've added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13 months. The national
unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. That's lower than the average rate
of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. (Applause.) In the great
state of Iowa, the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. This economy is
strong, and it is getting stronger. (Applause.)

I've a message for the farmers and ranchers of Iowa and South
Dakota and Nebraska. We will continue to open up foreign markets for
your products. We'll promote renewables like ethanol and biodiesel.
We will keep our farm economy strong, and you can count on me to keep
my word. (Applause.)

My opponent has an economic plan. I want you to remember he has
voted to increase taxes 98 times in 20 years as a United States
senator.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That is five times a year -- you might say that is
a predictable pattern, a leading indicator. (Applause.) In this
campaign the Senator has pledged to raise taxes on the top two
brackets. But that's not enough to pay for his priorities. See, he's
promised $2.2 trillion in new federal spending. That is trillion with
a "T." That's a lot, even for a senator from Massachusetts.
(Applause.)

But raising those top two brackets, that penalizes your small
business owner, and at the same time, it doesn't even come close to
paying for his promises. There's a tax gap. That's a gap between what
he has promised and what he can deliver. And you know who usually
fills that tax gap? Middle-class families do. We're not going to let
him tax you. We're going to win on Tuesday. (Applause.)

The second clear choice in this election involves the quality of
life for our nation's families. I believe every child can learn, and
that every school must teach. I went to Washington to challenge the
soft bigotry of low expectations and to reform our public schools. I
have kept my word. (Applause.) We passed education reforms to bring
high standards to the classrooms. Math and reading scores are on the
rise. We're closing the achievement gap by helping minority students
all across America. In a new term, we will build on these reforms,
extend them to our high schools so that no child is left behind in
America. (Applause.)

We'll continue to improve life for our families by making health
care more affordable and available. We will expand health savings
accounts. We will allow small businesses to join together so they can
buy insurance at the same discounts available to big companies. We
will help families in need, and we will help our patients and doctors
all across America by doing something about these junk lawsuits that
are running up the cost of medicine. (Applause.)

I have met too many OB/GYNs across our country that are having to
stop practicing medicine because these lawsuits are running up their
premiums. And I have met too many expectant moms who are desperately
concerned about their health and the health of their little one because
they have to drive miles to find a doctor. We have a national problem
when it comes to these frivolous lawsuits.

My opponent voted ten times against medical liability reform, and
he put a personal injury trial lawyer on the ticket.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm standing with the doctors of America, I'm
standing with the patients of America. I am for real medical liability
reform. (Applause.) In all we do to improve health care, we will make
sure that the medical decisions are made by doctors and patients, not
by officials in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

My opponent has got his ideas on health care. You might remember
one of the debates when they asked him about his health care plan. He
looked right in the camera, and he said, the government doesn't have
anything to do with it. I could barely contain myself. (Laughter.)
The government has got a lot to do with it. Eighty percent of the
people end up on a government plan under his vision. Federalizing
health care is the wrong prescription for American families.
(Applause.)

The third clear choice in this campaign involves your retirement.
Our nation has made a solemn commitment to our seniors on Social
Security and Medicare. When I ran for President four years ago, I
promised to keep that commitment and improve Medicare by adding
prescription drug coverage. I have kept my word. (Applause.)

I remember campaigning in 2002 in Iowa with Senator Grassley. I
remember all those newspaper editorials saying that Iowa hospitals,
rural hospitals were being treated unfairly under Medicare. So I
worked with the Senator. Now, Iowa's hospitals are being treated
fairly under Medicare because of the work we have done. (Applause.)
So are the rural hospitals in Nebraska and South Dakota. And beginning
in 2006, all seniors will be able to get prescription drug coverage
under Medicare. (Applause.)

My opponent has a record. He voted against the Medicare bill that
included prescription drug coverage. He also tries to scare seniors
about Social Security. But he forgets to tell you that he's the one
who voted eight times to tax Social Security benefits. He can run from
his record, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

I have kept the promise for Social Security and I will always keep
the promise for Social Security for our seniors. And baby boomers like
me, and some other ones out there that I'm looking at, are in pretty
good shape when it comes to the Social Security trust. But we need to
worry about our children and our grandchildren when it comes to Social
Security. We need to worry about whether or not the Social Security
system will be there when they need it. And that is why I think
younger workers ought to be allowed to take some of their own payroll
taxes ands set up a personal savings account, an account that earns a
better rate of return, an account they call their own. (Applause.)

The fourth clear choice in this election is on the values that are
crucial to keeping our families strong. I stand for marriage and
family, which are the foundations of our society. (Applause.) I stand
for a culture of life in which every person matters and every being
counts. And I proudly signed the ban on partial birth abortion.
(Applause.) I stand -- I stand for the appointment of federal judges
who know the difference between personal opinion and the strict
interpretation of the law. (Applause.)

On these issues, my opponent and I are miles apart. He was part of
an extreme minority that voted against the Defense of Marriage Act, and
he voted against the ban on partial birth abortion.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: There is a mainstream in American politics, and
Senator John Kerry sits on the far left bank. He ran run from his
liberal record, but he cannot hide. (Applause.)

The final choice in this election is the most important of all
because it concerns the security of your family. All progress on every
other issue depends on the safety of our citizens. The most solemn
duty of the American President is to protect the American people.
(Applause.) If America shows uncertainty or weakness in these troubled
times, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
watch. (Applause.)

Our strategy is clear. We have strengthened the protections for
our homeland. We are reforming and strengthening our intelligence
capabilities. We are transforming our all-volunteer army. There will
be no draft. (Applause.) We are relentless, we are steadfast, we are
determined to protect the American people. We're staying on the
offensive. We're fighting the terrorists abroad so we do not have to
face them here at home. (Applause.)

We are succeeding. Afghanistan is an ally in the war on terror,
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are making arrests and capturing terrorist
leaders. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a
free Iraq is defending freedom. Al Qaeda no longer controls
Afghanistan. We have shut down its camps. We are systematically
destroying the al Qaeda network. (Applause.) More than three-quarters
of al Qaeda's key members and associates have been brought to justice,
and the rest of them know that we're on their trail. (Applause.)

One reason we're succeeding is because we have a great United
States military. (Applause.) I want to thank those who are here who
wear our nation's uniform. I want to thank the military families who
are with us today. And I want to thank all the veterans here who have
set such a great example for our military. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE PRESIDENT: I have -- I have made a commitment to our military
and to the families of our military that our troops will have all that
is necessary to complete their missions. That is why in September of
2003, I proposed $87 billion in funding for our troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan. It was vital funding. Most of the people in Washington
supported that funding. My opponent, on national TV, initially said it
would be irresponsible to vote against the funding for the troops. And
then his poll numbers went down, and he voted against the funding for
our troops.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: And then -- and then he entered the flip-flop hall
of fame. (Applause.) And he entered -- and he entered the flip-flop
hall of fame by saying this: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion
right before I voted against it." (Laughter.) I haven't spent much
time in the coffee shops around here, but I feel pretty comfortable in
predicting that not many people talk like that in Sioux land.
(Applause.)

He's given several -- he's given several explanations of that vote
since then. But perhaps the most revealing of all is when he said the
whole thing is just a complicated matter. (Laughter.) My fellow
Americans, there is nothing complicated about supporting our troops in
combat. (Applause.)

The problem with Senator Kerry's record on national security are
deeper than election-year reversals. For 20 years, on the largest
national security issues of our time, he has been consistently wrong.
During the Cold War, Senator Kerry voted against critical weapons
systems and opposed President Ronald Reagan's policy of peace through
strength. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong, and
President Ronald Reagan was right. (Applause.)

When former President Bush assembled an international coalition to
drive Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. Senator Kerry voted against the use
of force to liberate Kuwait. History has shown that Senator Kerry was
wrong, and former President Bush was right. (Applause.)

Only a year after the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the
Senator proposed massive cuts in America's intelligence, cuts so
extreme that even his fellow Massachusetts Senator, Ted Kennedy, would
not support them. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong, and
-- we have got to be fair about it -- Senator Kennedy was right.
(Applause.)

We have a difference of opinion as to how to protect America. My
opponent says that America must submit to what he has called a global
test before we take action to defend ourselves.

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not making that up. (Laughter.) I heard it
during one of the debates. As far as I can tell, my opponent's global
test means America must get permission to defend our country. I'll
work with allies, and I'll work with our friends, but I will never turn
over America's national security decisions to leaders of other
countries. (Applause.)

Senator Kerry said recently that September the 11th did not change
him much at all. Well, it changed the way I look at the world. I'll
never forget going to the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the
14th, 2001. There were workers in hard hats there yelling at me at the
top of their lungs, "Whatever it takes." I remember the fellow coming
out of the rubble and he grabbed me by the arm and he looked me in the
eye, and he said, "Do not let me down." Ever since that day, I wake up
every morning trying to figure out how to better protect the American
people. I will never relent in defending America, whatever it takes.
(Applause.)

Over the next four years, we'll use every asset at our disposal to
protect the American people. And one of the most -- one of the
strongest assets we have is freedom. Free nations do not breed
resentments and export terror. Free nations become allies in the war
on terror. By spreading freedom, it helps us to achieve the peace we
all want. I believe in the power of liberty to transform society.

Just think about what's happened in Afghanistan in just three short
years. That country used to be the home base of al Qaeda and its
training camps. Little girls were not allowed to go to school because
of the barbaric vision of the Taliban. And if their mothers did not
toe their line, their ideological line, they were taken into the public
squares and whipped, and sometimes shot in a sports stadium. Because
we acted to protect our country, because we upheld the doctrine that I
laid out that said, if you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty
as the terrorist, millions of people went to the polls to vote for a
President of Afghanistan. And the first voter was a 19-year-old
woman. (Applause.)

It's an amazing story about the power of liberty to transform a
society. Iraq is still very dangerous, and the reason it is, is
because democracy is emerging; is because the society is becoming free
and freedom scares these terrorists. They can't stand the thought of a
free society in their midst. But think how far Iraq has come from the
days of torture chambers and mass graves, and the brutal reign of a
barbaric tyrant.

I believe every soul in the world yearns to be free. I believe
mothers and dads want to raise their children in a free world. I
believe all these things, not because freedom is America's gift to the
world; I believe it because freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
man and woman in this world. (Applause.)

My fellow citizens, these are historic times, and a lot is at stake
in this election. The future safety and prosperity of America are on
the ballot. But ultimately, this election comes down to who can you
trust. Who can you trust to protect your family? Who can you trust to
put plans in place to make sure prosperity spreads its wings?

If you believe that taxes should stay low so families can pay the
bills and small businesses can create new jobs, I ask you to come stand
with me. (Applause.) If you believe -- if you believe in high
standards for our public schools, I ask you, come stand with me. If
you believe patients and doctors should be in charge of health care, I
ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) If you believe that this
nation must honor the commitments of Medicare and strengthen Social
Security for generations to come, I ask you to come stand with me.
(Applause.) If you believe that this nation should honor marriage and
family and make a place for the weak and the vulnerable, I ask you to
come stand with me. (Applause.)

If you believe America should fight the war on terror with all our
might and lead with unwavering confidence in our ideals, I ask you to
come stand with me. (Applause.) If you are a Democratic who believes
your party has turned too far to the left this year, I ask you to come
stand with me. (Applause.) If you are a minority citizen and you
believe in free enterprise and good schools and the enduring values of
family and faith, and if you are tired of your vote being taken for
granted, I ask you to come stand with me. (Applause.) And if you are
a voter who believes that the President of the United States should say
what he means and do what he says and keep his word, I ask you to come
stand with me. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Four years ago -- four years ago when I traveled
throughout Sioux land asking for the vote, I made this pledge, if
elected I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office. With
your help, with your hard work, I will do so for four more years. God
bless and thanks for coming. Thank you all. (Applause.)